Fastening device for a flanged body intended to be secured in a wall opening or the like



p 1957 G. BROBERG 2,806,726

FASTENING DEVICE FOR A FLANGED, BODY INTENDED TO BE SECURED IN A WALL OPENING OR THE LIKE Filed May 13, 1954 r FIGI. J9 1/0 H I 5 /4 IHHHHII I mhl. m. HHIHI 27 7 2g I lmiam'onz- GEQRG "BROBERG ATTYS.

United States Patent FASTENING DEVICE FOR A FLANGED BODY IN- TENDED TO BE SECURED IN A WALL OPENlNG OR THE LlKE Georg Broberg, Solna, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Svenska Flaktt'abriken, Stockholm, Sweden Application May 13, 1954, Serial No. 429,s1s

Claims priority, application Sweden May 16, 1953 2 Claims. (Cl. 29217) The present invention relates to a fastening device for a flanged body intended to be removably mounted in an opening with its flange in flush engagement with the surface around the opening. The invention is particularly adapted to ventilating grilles mounted in wall openings.

The purpose of the invention is to render possible the mounting or removal of a body with respect to a supporting surface without the use of screws or similar fastening means. The invention eliminates damage to the surface of the body by the unskilled use of a screwdriver or similar tool and spoiling the surface of the body by plastering, papering or decorating work, and also affords easy removal for cleaning or other purposes without the use of any tools.

The present invention is characterized in that a pair of pivotally supported compressible spring elements is arranged in the space between the body portion of the body which extends into the opening and two opposite walls of said opening. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the spring elements are pivotally attached to two opposite sides of the body, each of said side walls being provided with a groove for the engagement of the spring elements. Of course, the elements may be reversed so that the spring elements may be pivotally mounted on two opposite side walls of the opening and each of the two opposite sides of the body may be provided with a groove for the engagement of the spring elements.

The invention will now be described in more detail in connection with an embodiment comprising a grille element secured in a duct opening. This embodiment is merely given as an example and shall not expressly limit the scope of the invention. Thus, in accordance with the invention, it is also possible to mount any body to an opening in a flat Wall surface which has been provided with supporting means of the type set forth in the claims.

in the attached drawing:

Fig. 1 illustrates a grille body in a preliminary position before being mounted in the opening;

Fig. 2 illustrates the grille body in its final mounted position; and,

Fig. 3 shows one of the spring elements illustrated in Fig. 1.

In Figs. 1 and 2, reference number 1 designates a grille body to be mounted in accordance with the invention. The front surface of the grille body is designated 1 and the body portion extending from the surface is designated 3. Around the extending part 1 there is a flange 2.

The grille body is adapted to be mounted in an opening 7 in a wall 27 having an outer surface 8 and an inner surface 10. For mounting the grille body in the wall opening, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a frame 9 closely fits the wall opening. The Walls of the frame 9 shown sectionally in the drawing are designated 28 and 29 respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the wall 28 of the frame has lugs with slanting surfaces 2,806,726 Rate'nted Sept. 17, 1957 6 and 11 defining therebetween an intermediate groove 12, and the Wall 29 has lugs with slanting surfaces 24 and 22 defining therebetween an intermediate groove 21.

The grille body 1 is mounted in the frame 9 by means of spring elements. The spring elements are designated 14 and 14a and are pivotally mounted on the body at points 4 and 17, the opposite ends of the spring elements 14 and 14a engaged in the grooves 12 and 21 as indicated at 13 and 19 respectively. As is evident from Fig. 3 which shows the element 14, each spring element consists of a wire symmetrically doubly bent at the points 15, 20, and 15, 20 respectively. The intermediate legs are designated 31, 32 and 31 and 32', and the central leg is designated 30. The opposite ends 5, 5' of each spring element are axially aligned and are adapted to be inserted in corresponding ears at the point 4 for the spring element 14 and the point 17 for the spring element 14a.

The operation of the device is as follows: As shown in Fig. 1, the extending body portion 3 of the grille body 1 with the outstanding spring elements 14, 14a directed against the grooves 12, 21 in the sides of the opening, is inserted into the opening. The body is then pressed in wardly as indicated by the arrows A, A, A. Inward displacement of the grille element 1 causes the spring elements 14 and 14a to pass an unstable position when the points 13, 4, 17, and 19 are in the same plane. At this point, the spring elements reach their maximum compression. As soon as this unstable position has been passed during the inward movement towards the inner surface 10, the spring elements tend to revert to their original form. This means, as shown in Fig. 2, that the spring elements tend to secure their flange 2 of the body flush against the flat outer surface 8 of the wall.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been herein illustrated and described, it is not intended to limit the invention to the precise disclosure, but changes and modifications may be made therein and there to within the scope of the following claims:

What I claim is:

1. For a flat wall having an opening therein, a body extending into said opening and having a flange surrounding said opening and disposed flush against said flat wall, a frame mounted in said opening having spaced parallel frame walls normal to the outer surface of said wall, and at least two lugs respectively adjacent the inner and outer ends of each of said frame walls, each lug having a surface slanting inwardly of said opening from a point adjacent the end of the wall to a point short of the other lug, said lugs defining therebetween an intermediate groove spaced a given distance inwardly of the outer surface of said flat wall, and compressible spring elements hingedly connected to opposite sides of said body at points remote from said flange a distance greater than said given distance, each element having its free end portion engaged in said intermediate groove defined by the lugs on the adjacent frame wall.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein each of said compressible spring elements comprises a wire having its opposite end portions disposed in axial alignment and hingedly connected to said body, a central portion offset laterally from said end portions in parallel relation thereto and U-shaped portions intermediate said end portions and said central portion, having the legs thereof disposed in spaced parallel relation to said end portions and said central portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,394,958 Wood Feb. 12, 1946 

